In times such as these, when faith can be influenced by fundamentalism and Christian nationalism, some believers aspire to become prophets. Others see themselves as prophets already. Still others identify specific individuals as prophets because they understand the prophetic spirit as a gift reserved only for certain people. Surely this is the case in today's first reading from Numbers where Joshua opposes the prophetic spirit being passed on to two people not originally in the circle of the 70 elders. But Moses is quick to respond with the wish that all people would be imbued with the prophetic spirit.

This is exactly what happens during Pentecost when the community gathered received the spirit of the Divine One breathed upon them by the resurrected Christ. Hence, the locus of the prophetic moves away from specific individuals to the community as a whole. Furthermore, if we ponder deeply the amazing insight inscribed in the Wisdom of Solomon, namely, that God's immortal spirit is in all things (Wisdom 12:1), then all creation, the entire cosmos, has the capacity to be prophetic, forever revealing the fecundity, the mystery, the beauty, the sacredness of the Holy One. Revelation of this nature is the deepest expression of the prophetic closely associated with the mystical tradition. 

To act with a prophetic consciousness and spirit within the human condition, however, is far more arduous. For those who choose to exercise the divine gift of prophetic consciousness, a spirit imbued in all creation, the task includes speaking to social, political and religious leaders, to judicial officials, to power brokers, especially those involved with shaping the global economy. To act prophetically is to speak truth to power, knowing that the prophetic word is always a graced word, no matter how foreboding or harsh that word may have to be. The prophetic word invites people to change and transformation, to be liberated from whatever binds them, which in turn, causes them to bind others.

Today's second reading from the letter of James is an example of the prophetic consciousness at work. This portion of James's letter addresses the social injustices existing in the early Christian world. Wealthy landowners enriched themselves, garnering their riches at the expense of their day laborers who were paid either unfairly or not at all. Because a class system was in place, those less fortunate or of modest means who lived just and righteous lives were hauled into court to stand trial so that they could be condemned and thus live a life of disgrace within the community. These wealthy "lords" ruled over their workers and people in general as if they were their "serfs."

To those who have disenfranchised others for personal gain, the prophetic word goes forth that condemns their life of self-absorbed and ill-gotten luxury. They are verbally confronted by the reality that their wealth can neither save them when life-altering tragedy strikes nor guarantee them a place in the realm of the Divine. Unfortunately, self-aggrandizement and self-indulgence through disenfranchisement as described in James's letter is systemic. A system of feudalism existed throughout biblical times, throughout the Middle Ages and even today it continues to exist but in new forms and ways that are just as hegemonic, hierarchical and disenfranchising as in the days of lords and commoners otherwise known as serfs and the working class.

In this 21st century, corporations are the new landlords who control not only nations' economies but also workers' wages. For example, a USA Today story reported that some employees working in the garment manufacturing industry in Southern California were earning as little as $1.58 per hour. Despite the labels stating "Made in the USA," most Americans are unaware that their garments are being made in sweatshops for wages far less than the legal law requires, the article noted. Needless to say, the struggle for just and fair wages for employees is a systemic problem and calls for a prophetic response, one like the letter of James delivers.

In sum, the divine spirit, wise and prophetic in nature, has been poured out upon all creation. The letter of James provides a window into prophetic consciousness and action. Would that the prophetic spirit be stirred up in the lives of all people so justice can take lasting root to end all forms of oppression.

Who really gets under your skin? Maybe it's the bully — on the playground, at work, on the national or international scene. Maybe a one-upper who thinks s/he's outperformed everyone else. It may be the resident perfectionist who demands such precision that s/he becomes an expert at criticizing while avoiding any possibility of failure. We all have at least a few candidates vying for the title of most "obnoxious to us."  

Rather than fixate on them, we might ask, "Why do they succeed so well at provoking us?"  Today's Liturgy of the Word summons us to probe our emotions and convictions in order to understand which values really motivate our own behavior and reactions.

"Obnoxious." What a great word! It comes from the Latin "noxa," which means harm or damage. It sounds like noxious fumes — or perhaps something about which we might say, "It stinks!" It's someone that gets to the guts of our emotional reactions. We react to it as if s/he symbolically exudes an unbearable stench or as if s/he posed a real danger to our well-being. St. James suggests that our reactions come from jealousy, selfish ambition or allowing our own will (passions) to be the measure of all things, etc.

In our first reading, The Book of Wisdom analyzes why the just inevitably suffer at the hands of the wicked. Underneath the sense that someone is "obnoxious to us," we can recognize self-defense, a symbolic clenching our fists, thumbing our nose or simply ignoring what feels negative. Whether we think we are right, or arrogantly claim rights that harm others, we don't want to listen to prophets lest we be moved toward change. 

Jesus' disciples followed this latter path. They avoided allowing Jesus' words to get inside them. What better way to do it than to start an argument among themselves? When Jesus reminded them that he would suffer like, or worse than, the prophets who went before him, they changed the subject. They let him go ahead of them, trying to avoid following his ideas or sharing his destiny. They walked behind, but did not follow. Perhaps they were motivated by something James did not mention: fear. They thought that if their hero went down, they would surely be mocked — or more likely, share his fate. That went beyond their expectations — and not in a good way. 

Jesus' adversaries followed a time-worn script. Because the false teachers purported the conviction that God liked intervening in history at their bidding, they felt free to torment someone who challenged their behavior. Their contention? God would not allow harm to come to a good person. They repeated what the demon said to Jesus in prodding him to leap off the temple so that God would send the angels to rescue him. Like so many of us, only in a more malicious sense, they were putting God to the test, demanding that God follow their rules: "Let us test him. If he is a son of God, God will deliver him." 

Ironically, they were correct. James teaches us that, yes, God delivers the just and the innocent, but not on human terms. This is where the rubber hits the road. God acts in ways that promote the good of all. God's ways are gentle, peaceable and full of mercy. Because of that, the actions of those who accept God's wisdom are genuine and fruitful. God does not dance to a human tune. God's own can say, "The Lord upholds my life," without planning how God should do it. They expect better of God than of themselves. 

This reflects a scene from the movie "Romero." When the challenges seem too great for him, St. Oscar Romero falls to his knees and says, "I can't. You must! I'm yours, lead me!" 

That's exactly what Jesus did. When it came to facing his mortal enemies, he told his followers to put down the sword; he trusted that God would not let his life be lost in vain. He didn't ask God to send avenging angels. He went to the extreme of crying out, "Why have you forsaken me!" By doing that, he freed God to work as only God can, peaceably drawing greater good out of immense evil. 

Today when we confront obnoxious self-aggrandizing, bullying, divisive people, these readings challenge us to the core. When we find ourselves provoked and tending toward retaliation, James calls us to tame ourselves. Jesus calls us to open ourselves, to hear and trust God. In Jesus and some of our saints, we have what seem to be superhuman examples. Rather than fall into vicious cycles of negativity, let us learn from St. Oscar Romero and pray, "I'm yours, lead me." With that prayer, we open the path for God to save our world.